The Revitalization of a Popular Movement: Case Study Research from Sweden

This article tries to enhance knowledge about organizational characteristics and processes that are important for mitigating
oligarchic tendencies in the governance of CSOs, and to discuss the factors that condition the operation of these characteristics
and processes. Civil society is frequently seen as an important part of societal governance and discussed as the intermediary
link between the individual and society. This connection is often made through the aggregate function of civil society organizations
(CSOs). Currently there are discussions regarding the decline of traditional cross-class federative CSOs and the possible
effect of this on democracy in society. This article presents a longitudinal case study of the governance within a large,
membership-based federative CSO and illustrates the revitalization of a CSO and its mission through the influx of a new group
of members from the surrounding environment. The author argues that this revitalization process was possible partly because
the proposed changes were in keeping with the organization’s original ideological core and partly because of the organization’s
open democratic governance system. This permeability is found at two levels: first, the borders are open for individuals to
enter the organization as members, and second, the borders of the internal governance system are open for members to take
part in the decision-making process. This enabled ideas to percolate up from the members through the democratic decision-making
system to the top of the organization, and some ideas are translated into statutes and policies, which then trickle down to
the members again through the executive structure. The conclusion is that a functioning democratic governance system, which
is able to stay true to the organization’s ideological core at the same time as it is able to modify it in light of societal
change, seems imperative for this kind of organization. By doing this, the organization is not just staying true to its original
mission but also actively contributing to democracy in society by including new groups into the decision-making process.